Target game



March 27,1945. F. sHAcKLEFoRD TARQET GAME Filed March s, 1944 v2 sheets-sheet 1 \4 v WWWS@ il :u

INVENToR.

efard Agi Marhv2i7, 1945. -F,.s`HAcK| EFo`RD 'l 2,372,608

TARGET GAME Filed March 8, 1944 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 i v /m u sn sa IN V EN TOR.

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Patented Mar. 27, 1945 lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TARGET GAME Forrest Shackleford, New AYork,vN. Y. `ApplicationMarch s, 1944, serial No. 525,534" 2 Claimaf r(Cl. 273-127) y"Ifhis invention relates `to target games and, more specifically, to .a new and improved marble target game played by childrenindoors.

The mainv object of the: present invention is the provision of safetarget game f or children wherein the marbles which are used as projectiles with the `game and being constructed in suich a manner that horizontal adjustment of the gun is sufficient for hitting the target;

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a toy target game ofl the character described, `which is simple and inexpensive in vconstruction but sturdy and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which such devices are usually subjected.

Yet still another object of the present inveni tion is the provision of a toy target game which can be made primarily of wood, plastic material or the like and whichrequires very few metal Further objects of the instant invention reside in any novel feature of construction or, novel combination of parts present in the embodiment v-of the invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings whether within or without the scope of the appended claims and irrespective of other specific statements as to the scope of the invention contained herein.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the target unit of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the toy gun unit;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a modification of the toy. gun unit as it appears before throwing a. projectile;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the modification of Fi 4; ig. 6 is a vertical sectional View of the modification of Figs. 4. 'and 5 as it appears just after the throwing of a projectile; -and Fig. 7. is a sectional view on the line I-l of Fig. 4.

Similar numerals refer to` similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring Iirst'to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the numeral l denotes to a, casing the front wall 2 of which is extended from the top portion 3 half way downward -so as to leave the lower part of the front portion of'casing I open. A curved runway. d is lengthwise. extended through the entire casing I, reaching from its bottom 5 at recess 6 (Fig. 1) to its :rear wall 1, tcvits'top portion 3 and `to its front wall 2. A trap convlines in Fig l.

sisting of an L-shaped longitudinal member, which may be made as a, unit or as two longi tudinal boards 8 and 9 rectangularly joined together as in the `instance shown, is lengthwise extended through runway 4 and is pivotally secured at I2 to the side walls Il] and II of casing l. Pins J4 or any other suitable supporting means hold'the member 8 9, normally in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. In this position, the cute-r edge of part 9 is only slightly spaced apart from the lower horizontal edge of the` front wall v2 so that marbles I5 orfany other round projectiles lying upon part I9 are con fined to the interior of casing I. A target, preferably a spherical member I6, is secured to the lower side of member 8-.-9|.by means of a rod l1, and is normally inthe position shown in rfull When target I6 is hit by a projectile, for instance by a marble l5, the tar get I6 and memberfB-Q swing toward the posi- .tion .shown in dash-.and-dotted lines in Fig. 1, the projectile hitting the target I6 runs through runway 4in .the direction of arrow Il and will fall-together with other projectiles already lying on member B-S-thrOug-h the open front portion of casing I. The top portion 3 of casing I `and the upper portion of runway 4. are provided with registering apertures I8 and lirespectively, so that marbles l5 vcan be dropped upon board 9 from above.

In order to facilitate the hitting of the target I6, I prefer to use a toy gun which is to be placed upon the same even surface as is casing I ata. distance of not more than about twelve feet therefrom, and which is adapted to thro-w a mlalrble in such a manner that the marblewhile being thrownis at substantially the same distance from said surface as is the target. In

this way no vertical adjustment of thegun is necessary, but horizontal adjustment alone is sulicient for hitting the target I6.

I prefer to carry out this feature of my invention in the manner shown in Fig. 3 and in the right hand part of Fig. 1, or according to the modification shown in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive.

According to Figs. 1 and 3, my improved toy gun comprises a gun barrel 2U which is preferably formed as a unit with the base portion 3l and the bore of which is extended deeply into portion 2l. leaving a comparatively thin rear wall portion 22 through which a rod 23 is extended. A knob 24 is secured to the rear end of rod 23, and a piston 25 is secured to the front end of rod 23. A spiral spring 2l is inserted between piston 25 and the inner side of the rear wall portion 22, and rod 23 is extended through spring 21. A recess or an aperture 28 (Fig. 1) in the lower inside portion of barrel 2D is adapted to hold a marble I5 when rod 23 is pulled out and spring 21 compressed. When rod 23 and knob 24 respectively is released, the force of spring 2l will act upon piston 25 so that the marble l5 will be projected.

According to the modification of Figs. 4 to 'I inclusive, my improved toy gun comprises a gun barrel 3U which is preferably formed as a unit with a casing 3i. The casing 3l is open at its top 43, and a lever 32 pivotally carried at 33 within casing 3! projects with its upper portion over the open top 43 of casing 3i. A piston or a plunger 34 is slidably arranged in barrel 3U, and its movement is limited by means of a pin 35 radially extended through the front portion of plunger 34 and by means of a disk 36 secured to the rear end of plunger 34. Resilient blades are secured to the lower end of lever 32, and a pin 4l is extended through registering apertures 42 in opposite side walls 48 and 44 of casing 3l. A recess or an aperture 33 (Figs. 4 and 6) in the lower inside portion of barrel Si! is adapted to hold a marble l5 when lever 32 and plunger 34 are in the position shown in Fig. 4. While lever 32 is being moved from a substantially vertical position (Fig. 4) to a substantially horizontal position (Fig. 6), pin "4I will temporarily resist the movement of the blades 4i) so that the blades 40 will be bent during the major part of the move. ment of lever 32 and will, at the end of said movement, leave pin 4| and hit upon plunger 34 (Fig. 6) thus projecting marble I5.

My improved target game is usually played in the following manner:

Casing l is placed on a large table or on the floor, and the toy gun is placed on-the same surface at a distance of twelve feet or less from casing l. The game can be played by any number of persons. Each player must first drop a marble l5 in aperture I8, and each player must4 supply his own marbles, with which to shoot. The players follow each other in succession, each player shooting a marble at the target I6. Marbles which miss the casing i entirely are dropped into the aperture I8.4 Marbles which miss only the target are carried into the trap r angle plate in such 8 9 by the runway 4. When the target is hit, the trap 8--9 opens in the manner previously described and all marbles I5 in it fall out of casing l and become the property of the player who hit the target IB. Then the game is started all over again by each player dropping one marble into aperture I8.

It is understood that my improved target game may be further modified without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

l. In a target game, a casing the front wall of which is partially open, a curved runway being varranged within said casing and reaching from the lower portion of the opening in said front wall to the upper portion of said opening, an angle plate lengthwise extended through said runway and pivotally secured to the side walls of said casing in such a manner that its bottom portion is normally in a horizontal position and is slightly spaced apart from the upper portion of said opening, and a target suspended from said a manner that a projectile hitting said target will swing said angle plate around its longitudinal axis so that the projectiles lying upon the normally horizontal portion of said angle plate will fall through said opening, the upper portion of s'aid runway and of said casing having registering apertures for manually dropping projectiles upon said angle plate, all substantially as set forth.

2. In a target game, a casing the iront wall of which is extended from the top halfway downward leaving the lower front portion of said casing open, a curved runway lengthwise extended through said casing and reaching from its bottom to its front wall, an L-shaped longitudinal member lengthwise extended through said runway and pivotally secured to the side walls of said casing in such a manner that its bottom portion is normally in a horizontal position and is slightly spaced apart from the lower horizontal edge of said front wall, and a spherical target secured to the lower side of said L-shaped member by means of a rod so that a projectile hitting said spherical target will swing said L-shaped member around its longitudinal axis thereby allowing the projectiles lying upon it to fall through the open front portion of said casing, the upper portion of said runway and of said casing having registering apertures for manually dropping projectiles upon said L-shaped member, all substantially as described.

FORREST SHACKLEFORD. 

